CV32

This Is How the World Could Have Ended (War is Boring blog)

I'm not much for reading manuals, sometimes to my detriment. But in any event, I thought I would dive right into Flashpoint Campaigns and 'wing it' through the five part scenario campaign, playing the part of the Red Army. You start off having already crashed through the Fulda Gap (there is a large single scenario for that), and early on, I was making good progress pushing west. Things started to bog down a bit once I started to meet West German armor (ugh, Leopard 2's, especially) and anti-tank helos. But still, quantity has a quality all its own. You have to give up time and victory points during the campaign to replace fallen out or destroyed units. I suspected this was probably not a good idea (who would want to give NATO time to constitute a defence?), so I spent the bare minimum on this. Not sure if it was ultimately deal breaker (might have to crack that manual after all), but when I ran into American M1A1s, Bradleys, and an amazing artillery spotter, things started to go south instead of west. My Red Hammer fell just short of the Rhine, within a few kilometers of its banks, actually. Fun and addictive game.

14 January 1969 While operating off Hawaii, a 5 inch Zuni rocket "cooks off" aboard the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVAN-65), due to hot exhaust from a MD-3A 'Huffer' flight deck APU vehicle being directed against the four round LAU-10/A rocket pod. The ensuing explosion of the rocket's 3.3 kg Composition B explosive warhead ignites the JP-5 fuel aboard the F-4J Phantom carrying the rocket pod. The resulting fire detonates three more Zuni warheads, punching holes through the flight deck and allowing burning fuel to drop into the level below. Some 18 more secondary explosions and fires follow, including several 500 lb Mk 82 iron bombs and a tanker aircraft carrying 6,000 USG of JP-5. Eight holes are blown through the flight deck and through the decks below. In less than four hours, the fires are extinguished, but 28 crewmen are killed and 344 injured. 15 aircraft are destroyed and 17 more damaged. The fire and subsequent investigation leads to further work on developing insensitive munitions.

Mostly ground forces oriented, but still useful and educational (in PDF): Soviet Army Operational and Tactics Soviet Army Specialized Warfare and Rear Area Support Soviet Army Troops, Organization and Equipment Soviet Motorized Rifle Battalion Soviet Motorized Rifle Company Soviet Tank Battalion Tactics Soviet Tank Company Tactics Heavy OPFOR Tactical Handbook Heavy OPFOR Operational Art Handbook NATO order of battle 1989 Bundeswehr order of battle West German Territorial Army order of battle Bundeswehr HQ units order of battle Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, 1988 (zip) Central Group of Forces, 1988 Northern Group of Forces, 1988 US intelligence and Soviet armor

Finally gave in and picked up this title from Matrix. Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm Warning! This one is addictive. If you are familiar with and enjoyed TacOps, chances are you will enjoy this one.

F6F Hellcat: Remembered Firsthand (Defense Media Network)

13 January 1942 German test pilot Helmut Schenck becomes the first person to successfully use an ejection seat, ejecting from his Heinkel He-280 jet fighter.

11 January 1879 British forces cross into Zululand, marking the start of the Anglo-Zulu war.

2014 NTI Nuclear Materials Security Index released (Nuclear Threat Initiative)

Robert Gates: Pakistan 'Really No Ally At All' (The Diplomat, Flashpoints)

10 January 1920 The Treaty of Versailles takes effect. Although the guns had fallen silent on 11 November 1918, negotiations to finalize the treaty continued for another six months and it did not officially take effect until the following January. The longer lasting effects - and consequences - would come home to roost in September 1939.

A new version of the Harpoon Commander's Edition (HCE) 'Cold War' Database (HCCW-140110) is now available. Get it in the Downloads section. New additions include: Aircraft: AJ-1 Savage - USA AJ-2 Savage - USA AJ-2P Savage - USA Avenger AS.3M - Canada Avenger AS.3 Mk1 - Canada F-2C Banshee - USA F-2D Banshee - USA F2H-2 Banshee - USA F2H-2B Banshee - USA F2H-2N Banshee - USA F2H-2P Banshee - USA FJ-3 Fury - USA FJ-3M Fury - USA FJ-4 Fury - USA FJ-4B Fury - USA Hunter Mk 56 - India MiG-21F-13 Fishbed C - India MiG-21FL Fishbed - India Su-7BMK Fitter A - India TBM-3E Avenger - USA TBM-3Q Avenger - USA TBM-3S Avenger - USA TBM-3W Avenger - USA TBM-3W2 Guppy - Canada Ships/MLUs: APC Platoon AFV - Intl Artillery MRL Bty AFV - Intl Artillery SP Bty AFV - Intl Bar Lock A-B (P-35) RDR - USSR Bunker Surface MISC - Intl Bunker Underground MISC - Intl Civilian Vehicles MISC - Intl ELINT Station - Intl FARP MISC - Intl IFV Platoon AFV - Intl Knife Rest A (P-8) RDR - USSR Knife Rest B (P-10) RDR - USSR Long Track (P-40) RDR - USSR Oil Rig MISC - Intl Spoon Rest A-B (P-12) RDR - USSR Spoon Rest C (P-12) RDR - USSR Spoon Rest D (P-18) RDR - USSR Tank Platoon AFV - Intl Truck Convoy TRAN - Intl TPS-43 RDR - USA Installations: Village - Intl Enjoy.

Indonesia Might Purchase Russian Su-35 Fighters (The Diplomat, Flashpoints)

Japan To Formally Nationalize 280 Islands (The Diplomat, Flashpoints)

9 January 1943 Russian planes overfly the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad, dropping leaflets with an ultimatum for surrender to Field Marshal Paulus. He refuses to meet with Soviet emissaries, and the battle drags on for nearly another month before the Sixth Army finally surrenders.

Not a Floating Museum, but Razor Blades: Forrestal, the Navys First Supercarrier, Goes to the Breakers for a Penny (Defense Media Network)

Oh, that's quite a bit more interesting. Kuznetsov was supposed to rejoin the fleet at the end of the year (2013), and then go to the Mediterranean. But this latest deployment hasn't received much attention, afaik, which again is a little odd. They skirted close to Scotland back in 2011 as well, causing some consternation, so I expect the RN is a little embarrassed at having it happen again. Other consideration: Pyotr Velikiy is also in the Med.

It is more a reflection of the wide variability among descriptions of combat radius and range (because of the myriad factors that impact it) than the accuracy of the CaS (or any other source) annexes. It was the SAC sourced examples that said gun ammo AND bombs AND rockets AND fuel tanks that were causing me concern. Those still don't seem right. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_fighters/p84_10.html Joe Baugher is a source I will often turn to when H4 info is lacking. So, without other suggestions, I will probably use what Joe offers.

I note my omission of the 2x 450 USG or 2x 230 USG fuel tank options from the current loadouts (which can be readily fixed). Also, the attacks on Luxor were apparently limited to rockets and strafing - while carrying the 450 USG tanks - so that might account for the extra reach. These numbers clash in a big way with that available from Harpoon's Command at Sea annexes, which I am using mainly for aircraft of this era. Using those numbers, for example, I get 946 nm of range for an F-84F carrying only 2x 450 USG tanks and the gun ammo. Also, some of the SAC loadouts seem to suggest that the F-84F had more than four underwing pylons??

India’s Largest Carrier INS Vikramaditya Arrives at Karwar Home Port (Defense Update)

Add This Fighter-Bomber to the List of New Chinese Warplanes (War is Boring blog)

Thanx, Tony. That rings a bell.

Has the Russian warship since been identified?

I think I might be ready to venture into scenario building for CMANO. One of probably many questions... How do you create an air mission that is tied to a surface group? Say, for example, an ASW helo patrol ahead of (and continuing with) its host ship?

Other useful source: China’s Nuclear Warhead Storage and Handling System (Project 2049 Institute, Mark Stokes, March 2010)